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Easing your child into the back-to-school routine

Taking the bus, meeting new teachers and classmates, studying, playing sports – kids may encounter all of these experiences as they head back to school. It’s an exciting time of the year, but all of the changes can also make children anxious, and not just kids who are starting school for the first time.

Many families have already begun to settle into their routines, but some children have a tougher time transitioning. Children who are under stress may act out rather than express themselves with words. They may fight with their brother or sister; refuse to respond to your requests; insist they don’t feel well and can’t go to school when it seems they are fine; have trouble sleeping; or be generally irritable and moody. These kinds of changes in behavior may be stimulated by an underlying emotion – anxiety, fright or sadness, among others.

If you need some assistance in guiding your child or teen through persistent difficulties, Squirrel Hill Psychological Services can help. We understand the unique needs of our young clients, and therapists specializing in working with children and adolescents can help your child or adolescent overcome behavioral and/or emotional difficulties.

We offer a welcoming, confidential setting where your child or teen can feel comfortable talking to a trained professional. We also have clinicians trained in play therapy who use the language of a child’s imaginary play to provide a greater understanding of a young child’s emotions and to help him/her through the problem situation.

Whether it’s back-to-school time or other lifecycle transitions and crises, appropriate interventions can help children and adolescents, and their families, cope. If you would like more information about different types of counseling that Squirrel Hill Psychological Services offers, or if you know of a child or family that could benefit from our expertise, please visit our website or call Jordan Golin, Psy. D., director of clinical services, at 412-422-7200.

Squirrel Hill Psychological Services, a division of JF&CS, offers a variety of services to help people of all ages achieve mental wellness. Our team of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists are experienced and compassionate, with areas of specialization ranging from play therapy and blended families to marital discord and anxiety and depression. We offer both short- and long-term therapy to individuals, children and teens, couples and families.